Tomasine Armstrong Gotcher

Tomasine Armstrong Gotcher, 92, of Midland, Texas, passed away on November 29, 2022. Funeral services will be held on Saturday, December 3rd, 2022 at 10:00 a.m. at Mid-Cities Community Church Neely Campus in Midland. Burial will be held at Oplin Cemetery in Oplin, Texas following the service.

Tomasine was born to Edgar Preston Armstrong and Ruby Virginia Armstrong on October 6, 1930 in San Angelo, Texas. She attended San Angelo High School where she was one of the band Sweethearts, was in the Zilite Sorority, and involved in many other activities. After graduating in 1947, she attended San Angelo Junior College, where she was a cheerleader and met Jimmy Gotcher, her future husband.

She and Jimmy were married June 24, 1950 at First Methodist Church in San Angelo. They were married for 66 years before his passing in 2016. They subsequently attended Sul Ross State College and both graduated in 1952, Tomasine with a degree in Education. Tomasine and Jimmy had three children together, Jay, Monalee, and Jeff. They lived in Breckenridge, Texas from 1952 to 1955. They moved to Midland, Texas in February of 1955 where she began her over 25 year career teaching in the Midland public schools, being awarded many honors and acknowledgements. Her love for her students and her natural ability to teach touched every student who entered her classroom.  She often received letters from and had personal encounters with former students, parents and co-workers expressing appreciation for how their lives were positively impacted. One such letter delivered as recently as last week.

As a family they were members of the First United Methodist Church in Midland where she and Jimmy served as Superintendents of the Junior High Department. Tomasine was a teacher for the 7th grade Sunday school. Later, they served as sponsors of the Methodist Youth Fellowship. While attending a Lay Witness Mission held at First United Methodist, she came into a new and full relationship with the Lord in 1970. Her deep commitment to the Lord influenced the remainder of her life and her faithfulness and unconditional love impacted her children, grandchildren and all who knew her.

Several years after retiring from MISD, she returned to the classroom at a small private school, Calvary Christian Academy. Tomasine was also a proud member of both the Daughters of the American Revolution and the Daughters of the Republic of Texas.

She is survived by her children and their spouses, Jay and Deborah Gotcher, Mona and Denny Snelson, and daughter-in-love Carla Gotcher; her grandchildren and their spouses, Meagan and Clay Gardner, Morgan Gotcher, Andrew Gotcher, Caroline and Chad Hoban, Hannah Longoria, J.Tom and Jill Snelson, Ginny and Steve Grande, Tyler and Sarah Snelson, Amory and Jordan Skaggs, Will and his fiancée Fatima Palma, and Emma and Grant Allred; and by her great-grandchildren, Abigail Gardner, Alaska Snelson, Jameslee Skaggs, Keira Longoria, Lucy Skaggs, Sawyer Gotcher, Preston Hoban, Bear Snelson, Jefferson Skaggs, Eveleigh Gardner, James Grande, Vivian Tomasine Longoria, Ellie Hoban, Eleanore Snelson, G.W. Skaggs, Wesley Grande, and two more arriving soon. She is preceded in death by her parents; husband; infant sister Mona Sue; brother Edgar Armstrong Jr.; her son Jeff Gotcher; and granddaughter, Annie Jo Gotcher.

Pallbearers will be Morgan Gotcher, Andrew Gotcher, J. Tom Snelson, Tyler Snelson, Will Gotcher, Clay Gardner, Chad Hoban, Steve Grande, Jordan Skaggs, and Grant Allred.

The family suggests any memorials be donated to The Crisis Pregnancy Center or Hospice of Midland. Arrangements are under the direction of Nalley-Pickle & Welch Funeral Home & Crematory of Midland.

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